A new national agency to evaluate medical technologies and treatments in Argentina

Argentina’s Health Ministry has decided to create a new national agency for health technology assessment. It has been named as the National Agency for the Evaluation of Health Technologies (AGNET); the entity will be responsible for setting priorities for the use of health technologies from its clinical assessment, ethical, economic & social, and their possible implications for the health system. The agency will also assess usefulness of interventions to promote health, prevention, diagnosis, treatment or rehabilitation and care. AGNET will evaluate drugs, devices, medical products & instruments, techniques and clinical & surgical procedures. The country’s Health Minister said that the new agency was designed from the analysis of rich experiences of other nations and recommendations of international organizations such as PAHO and WHO. The importance of a new agency is that it will be binding with the law, which will prevent the prosecution system. AGNET would work complementarily with the National Drug and Technology (ANMAT) in those cases that are within the scope of ANMAT.